A graduate of the Royal Northern College of Music, UK and the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, Dominica Matthews is currently a Senior Principal Artist with Opera Australia and has established herself as one of Australia’s best-loved and prolific singers.

Major appearances for the national company have included the title roles in La Cenerentola and Orlando, Romeo in I Capuleti e i Montecchi, Rosina in Il barbiere di Siviglia, Cherubino in Le nozze di Figaro, Hermia in A Midsummer Night’s Dream and many others. In 2022, she sings Berta (The Barber of Seville) for the national company, Belle in A Christmas Carol for Victorian Opera and Verdi’s Requiem for Christchurch Symphony Orchestra.

Her performance as Sonyetka saw her win the 2009 Helpmann Award for Best Female Performer in a Supporting Role in an Opera. Her work as Nicklausse and Madame Larina brought her Green Room Awards in 2007 and 2015 respectively for Best Female Performer in a Supporting Role in an Opera.

Engagements overseas have included the title role in La Cenerentola, La Principessa in Suor Angelica, Suzuki in Madama Butterfly and Baba the Turk in The Rake’s Progress.

As alto soloist, Dominica has sung for the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, Sydney Philharmonia, Orchestra Victoria and Royal Melbourne Philharmonic in works such as Mozart’s Requiem, Handel’s Messiah, Mendelssohn’s Elijah and Rossini’s Petite Messe Solennelle; for Sydney Symphony, she starred in The Gilbert & Sullivan Spectacular.

Dominica sang Flosshilde and Schwertleite in Opera Australia’s landmark presentation of Der Ring des Nibelungen in 2013. Other recent appearances include Sister Berthe in the national tour of The Sound of Music and Cavalleria Rusticana, Krol Roger, La traviata, Parsifal, Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, Wozzeck and The Merry Widow for Opera Australia. Future appearances include Marcellina (Le nozze di Figaro), Marthe (Faust) and The Countess (Andrea Chenier) for Opera Australia and Schwertleite (Die Walküre) in Singapore.